Despite its harsh denunciations of Israel’s handling of unrest in the administered territories, Egypt has acted to minimize damage to its relations with Israel, according to a report issued last week by the American Jewish Congress.
The report cites Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s decision to retain Egypt’s ambassador in Israel, despite recent pressure from home and abroad, and his softening of a previously rigid position toward the Arab-Israeli peace process as just two of the factors that have led to “considerably improved bilateral relations.”
“There was substantial pressure from within Egypt and the Arab world to which (Mubarak) might have buckled under. We’re gratified he did not,” said Raphael Danziger, assistant director of the AJCongress Commission on International Affairs and co-author of the report with commission director Phil Baum.
The 36-page report was issued last week to coincide with Mubarak’s meetings in Washington with President Reagan and other U.S. officials. The authors maintain that Egypt so far has avoided taking any drastic anti-Israel measures. They also note the following encouraging indicators:
Mubarak rejected a call from Egypt’s Parliament to withdraw Mohammed Bassiouny, Egypt’s ambassador to Israel, and to expel Israeli Ambassador Moshe Sasson from Egypt to protest the “oppressive measures” taken by Israel against Palestinians in the territories.
On Dec. 29, Egyptian security forces forcefully dispersed an anti-Israel demonstration by more than 1,000 students at Cairo’s Ayn-Shams University.
Nine Arab countries resumed ties with Egypt last November without any Egyptian concessions on relations with Israel, indicating that the “peace treaty with Israel no longer compromised Egypt’s position in the Arab world.”
Egypt has backtracked from its insistence on full Palestine Liberation Organization representation in any peace negotiations and is calling for bilateral talks between Israel and a Jordanian Palestinian delegation.
An overall improvement in bilateral relations followed the Egyptian-Israeli agreement in 1986 to submit the Taba border dispute to binding international arbitration.
‘SERIOUS IRRITANTS’
The report maintains that “serious irritants continued to mar” relations between the two countries. “The most upsetting is continued anti-Semitism in the Egyptian media, ” said Danziger.
Last week, on the eve of Mubarak’s visit, the Simon Wiesenthal Center published a 160-page report documenting the extent of anti-Jewish expression in the government-sanctioned Egyptian news media.
The report, titled “Israel’s Peace Partner — A Survey of Anti-Semitism in the Egyptian Press, 1986-1987,” lists anti-Semitic newspaper and magazine articles, cartoons, book reviews, films, television programs and theater.
“Mubarak said he can’t control the press,” said Danziger. “There is a free press, but he can make more vigorous efforts to stop or at least reduce” the anti-Semitic content.
The AJCongress leader expressed the hope that the United States used Mubarak’s Washington visit last week to “strengthen his resolve” to maintain a constructive role for Egypt in the peace process.
“It is important that they make it clear to Egypt to hold the line” in bilateral relations with Israel, he said.
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